Even in a less than ideal performance such as this, with soprano
Marta Fiol and the Orquesta de Cámara del Auditorio de Zaragoza ("Grupo Enigma"), conducted by Juan José Olives,
Berio's Folk Songs don't fail to exert at least some of their considerable charm.
Fiol's voice is light and unsupported, and lacks the security and flexibility to project the full emotional and temperamental range of the songs. In a field where there are numerous first-rate recordings of the Folk Songs, her performance has little to recommend it. The ensemble plays adequately, but not with the panache to make the performance fully satisfying. Opus number Zoo, for wind quintet, which includes speaking parts for the players, performed here in Spanish translation of Rhoda Levine's clever texts, is far more satisfying; the quintet plays and sings with energy and high spirits. The recorded sound is a little distant, and the balance is somewhat off, favoring the instruments over the voices.